The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) has confirmed a case of measles in an infant returning home to Orange County (OC) following international travel. The affected traveler arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday, February 19.
 
Additional information regarding this traveler’s activity at LAX can be found in the County of Los Angeles Public Health Newsroom.There were no additional community exposures.
 
Anyone who may have been exposed and who are at increased risk of severe outcomes, such as infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems should:

• Review whether they are immune to measles or not. People who are not fully immunized against measles or who don’t know if they are immune to measles already should talk with a health care provider about receiving the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
• Monitor themselves for illness with fever and/or an unexplained rash from 7 days to 21 days after their exposure (the time period when symptoms may develop); if symptoms develop, stay at home and call a health care provider immediately for guidance.

“Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause severe illness such as pneumonia, brain swelling and even death, especially young kids who are not protected,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, County Health Officer. In recent years, 25% of identified measles cases in the United States were hospitalized. Common symptoms include fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes and it spreads very easily by air and by direct contact with an infected person. People are contagious from approximately four days before the rash begins through four days after the rash appears. Anyone suspecting that they have measles should call their medical provider before arriving at the medical office, to avoid exposing others to the measles virus. Immunization provides the best protection.”
 
About measles immunization:

• Safety of MMR vaccines: Over 800 million doses of MMR vaccine have been given worldwide, with studies consistently showing that vaccination prevents serious illness with minimal risks. The benefits far outweigh any risks. Side effects are usually mild, such as soreness where the shot was given.
• Infants should receive their first MMR vaccine at 12-15 months of age. The second dose of MMR is given at 4 to 6 years of age before going to school.
• Immunizing household members including children, adolescents and adults is the best way to protect infants who are too young to receive the MMR vaccine.
• Measles is found in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Receiving an MMR vaccine before international travel is recommended for those who have not already received two doses. Children 6 to 12 months of age who are traveling internationally are recommended to receive a dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel, to decrease their risk of infection.

For more information about measles, visit www.cdc.gov/measles or www.ochealthinfo.com/measles.

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(Santa Ana, CA) —  The Orange County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program has been awarded Gold Level Certification through CIT International, recognizing its outstanding commitment to regional crisis response system development and collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral health professionals. Orange County is the first county in the state to achieve this rating.

The CIT Program is a community regional partnership among law enforcement/first responders, behavioral healthcare providers, clients/families, consumer advocacy groups and Fire/EMS. The program is guided by the CIT Steering Committee whose objective is providing more effective community responses to individuals and families impacted by mental illness, substance use disorder, intellectual and developmental disabilities and behavioral health crises. The program improves crisis response, advocates for essential services, trains first responders, and strengthens partnerships across the community.

The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) have played a vital role in ensuring the success of the county’s CIT program by integrating behavioral health expertise with public safety efforts. Through this collaborative approach, the CIT program has enhanced crisis de-escalation strategies, increased access to mental health resources and reduced unnecessary law enforcement involvement in behavioral health crises.

"The Gold Certification is a testament to the strength of our collaborative efforts between law enforcement and behavioral health professionals," said Ian Kemmer, HCA’s Director of Behavioral Health Services. "By integrating clinical expertise with law enforcement response, we are creating a safer and more effective crisis response system for our community."

“Together with our dedicated health care partners, we are building a safer and more compassionate community by ensuring those in crisis receive the care and support they need,” said Captain Christine Berryman, OC Sheriff’s Behavioral Health Bureau. “We are honored by this recognition of the rigorous training we have collaboratively developed and plan to continue finding ways to enhance crisis response services in Orange County.”

The Gold Certification recognizes Orange County’s leadership in crisis response and underscores the strong partnership between law enforcement and behavioral health professionals in improving outcomes for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. The recognition highlights Orange County CIT’s outstanding model including:

• Multidisciplinary leadership team
• Strong partnerships on the steering committee with good structure to manage and sustain the CIT program
• Robust integrated crisis response system
• Strong connection to agency programs

CIT International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to assisting communities worldwide in crisis response system reform by developing CIT programs. Certification levels reflect how closely aligned a CIT program is with best practice standards. Gold denotes Orange County’s program meeting outstanding best practice criteria.
For more information about the International CIT Program, please visit citinternational.org.
 

ABOUT THE OC HEALTH CARE AGENCY

The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional interdisciplinary health jurisdiction and an accredited health department, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through partnership and coordination of public and private sector resources. Visit www.ochealthinfo.com to learn more about services and resources. 

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with state and local health departments, is investigating reports of serious adverse events, including deaths, following receipt of injectable ceftriaxone. To date, events have not been associated with a single product manufacturer or lot, and a definitive causal link to ceftriaxone has not been established. CDC is requesting reports of serious adverse events following the administration of ceftriaxone to assist with the ongoing investigation. 

Please report to CDC adverse events that meet the following criteria, occurring after September 1, 2024:

1. Occurred within 6 hours after receipt of injectable* ceftriaxone in a non-ICU setting, and
2. Resulted in death or required cardiopulmonary resuscitation**, and
3. Not attributed by the treating provider(s) to a cause other than ceftriaxone administration***

*including both intramuscular and intravenous routes of administration

**cardiopulmonary resuscitation defined as the use of chest compressions and mechanical ventilation or provision of rescue breaths to maintain circulatory flow and oxygenation during cardiac arrest

***such as known infection, other underlying medical condition, or exposure to a medication or medical product other than ceftriaxone

Please make reports to HCA's Communicable Disease Control Division at 714-834-8180. Healthcare providers should report serious adverse events that might be associated with a medical product to FDA’s MedWatch Program and to the product manufacturer.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is closely monitoring an Ebola disease outbreak in Uganda caused by Sudan virus and a Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak in Tanzania. To date, no cases of Sudan virus disease (SVD) or MVD related to these outbreaks have been reported in the United States or other countries outside of the affected countries. On February 6, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory on the Ebola Outbreak Caused by Sudan virus in Uganda. The full CAHAN Disease Notification provides information about the SVD and MVD outbreaks and summarizes CDPH’s recommendations for case identification, testing, clinical laboratory biosafety and other considerations in California. More info...

Two Orange County cats have been diagnosed with presumptive HPAI influenza A (H5N1). These animals reportedly consumed raw pet food sold at a farmers’ market. No transmission to humans has been identified at this time.

Veterinary providers should consider HPAI infection when evaluating ill pets, particularly cats, with a history of consumption of raw milk or raw food. Ill cats can have influenza testing performed by commercial veterinary diagnostic labs. For animals that die and are suspected of being infected with HPAI, the HCA Communicable Disease Control Division should be contacted at (714) 834-8180; we
can arrange for postmortem testing of animal brains, at the HCA’s Public Health Laboratory. More info...

People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are at increased risk for HIV and hepatitis C. The vast majority of recent HIV cases among PEH in Orange County have been co-infected with syphilis and hepatitis C. This emphasizes the need for routine HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing among this population.

HCA encourages local healthcare providers and community partners serving people experiencing homelessness to:

• Test individuals who are unhoused for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C
• Provide condoms and harm reduction supplies for protection from HIV, hepatitis C and STIs
• Learn about treatment options to help individuals who are HIV+ to get and stay virally suppressed, which means having an undetectable HIV viral load and 
• Know prevention and harm reduction options for those HIV-negative; these include HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP), which protect individuals from acquiring HIV

See “Dear Colleague letter” from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on emergency department testing and treatment for HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis. More info...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to clinicians and laboratories due to sporadic human infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses amid high levels of seasonal influenza activity. CDC is recommending a shortened timeline for subtyping all influenza A specimens among hospitalized patients and increasing efforts at clinical laboratories to identify non-seasonal influenza. Clinicians and laboratorians are reminded to test for influenza in patients with suspected influenza and, going forward, to now expedite the subtyping of influenza A-positive specimens from hospitalized patients, particularly those in an intensive care unit (ICU). This approach can help prevent delays in identifying human infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses, supporting optimal patient care and timely infection control and case investigation. More info...

(Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency, Environmental Health Services, has closed the open coastal water area in Laguna Beach spanning from Treasure Island Beach to Table Rock at Aliso Beach due to a sewage spill. The sewage spill of approximately 465,000 gallons was caused by a force main sewer line break near the Laguna Niguel Regional Park that has since been repaired. The affected ocean water area will remain closed to swimming, surfing, and diving until the results of follow-up water quality monitoring meet acceptable standards.
 
For information regarding Orange County ocean, bay, or harbor postings and closures, please call (714) 433-6400 or visit our Web site at www.OCBeachinfo.com. To report a sewage spill, please call (714) 433-6419.

ABOUT THE OC HEALTH CARE AGENCY
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional interdisciplinary health jurisdiction and an accredited health department, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through partnership and coordination of public and private sector resources. Visit www.ochealthinfo.com to learn more about services and resources.

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